Slow Foxtrot

I am currently on the QV. All the keen dancers prefer the recorded music now, because the band's tempo is wrong, and varies during the dance. We have speeds that are halfway between slow foxtrot and quickstep, so you can't really do either one properly.......

Madam Fantasy, is it a fantasy of yours that one day you will sail aboard Cunard and find a dance-band that actually knows the basic requirements of playing for dancing? It's not impossible. I danced to such a band on QM2 last year.

In my opinion, I like it when the band and the dancers respond and learn from each other. The band sees what type of songs tend to get people dancing, and should want to increase the play of similar types and tempos of songs to keep the dance floor full. Similarly, the dancers adjust their dance to the beat of what the band is playing....

Mr DWhit, the Queens Ballroom doesn't quite work like that but you may find that the G32 nightclub will meet your requirements.

Foxy- what do you think? the first time I read the Tom & Carol post I thought it must be an attempt at satire. But now I'm wondering if they're serious.............

Well, with all due respect it is obvious that dear Tom & Carol are blissfully unaware of the modus operandi of any social ballroom worth its salt - let alone the much vaunted Queens Ballroom. Expecting the dance-band to play the right tempo for ballroom and Latin dancing has nothing to do with anyone's ability to dance because it is immensely beneficial to both total beginners and good dancers alike. In the last seven months I have spent around sixty days on Cunard's ships and the music has been sometimes very good and sometimes simply inappropriate for the announced dance.

Of course, the buck stops with the dance- band leader. Some are fine, others simply lack the necessary knowledge of what is required. They may be good musicians but there is a big difference between a show-band and a proper dance-band. The bottom line (as Tangoll implies) is that these are custom built ballrooms expensively designed for ballroom and Latin dancing. It therefore behoves Cunard to ensure the very simple task of checking that all their dance-band leaders are up to the job, not just for the pleasure of good dancers but for all the casual dancers that venture onto the floor just once in a while. And for those people who think that tempos are not important - well, just ask any experienced dance- band leader!

.......

When I was on the Oriana, the dance teacher (a real, IDTA-qualified teacher) did host duty, and sometimes the cruise staff, but there were no actual hosts.

That's been the case on Oriana for very many years and it works very well indeed? As you say, the dance teachers are invariably well qualified and preside over many sessions of ballroom and Latin dancing. They select the CD music during the band-intervals and often mix and dance with the passengers. All the music, either from dance CDs or from the band, is invariably good to dance to.

Unlike Cunard, it's very rare that passengers on Oriana have problems with the tempo.

Just back from QM2 today and just wanted to say that your comments, as usual, are spot on.

We enjoyed the band on QV more and the dance floor there felt bigger as it was not restricted by the glass balcony at the end. The band was a joke. There was a long pause between each song as they actually discussed how they would play the song (hello?? don't they rehearse this stuff first?). The band leader would then announce something like : "Now for a nice slow waltz" and promptly play a Viennese Waltz instead!..........

It appears that nothing has changed (dance wise) on the QM2 since its inaugural season in 2004. Back then the dance band never had a clue about correct dance tempos and it seems that they still don't have a clue now. What on earth are these people doing playing on Cunard's much vaunted 'biggest ballroom at sea' ?

If they still don't know the difference between a Slow Waltz and a Viennese Waltz then dancers just might as well give up. Playing correct tempos for dancing is not rocket science. There have been so many complaints about this over the years and yet Cunard remain unconcerned. Occasionally, as band leaders change, some manage to get the tempos almost right but, as cafeDB reveals, it's still a hit and miss. It's time for Cunard to get their act together and ensure that the dance bands they employ can do justice to the Queens Ballroom.

.....There are many aspects of the design of the QE that I think are superior to the QM2: the theatre which, as many say, is as attractive as a West End theatre; the two-deck library and the location and design of the Grills restaurants, lounge and deck space. The QE's Princess Grill staterooms, however, are not as well laid out as those on the QM2. All of this is a matter of personal taste, of course.

 

For a crossing I would always choose the QM2 and for a cruise I would take the QE.

Valid comments and good advice.

Mrs Richards could well have been on a cruise liner.

"Call that a bath? it's not big enough to drown a mouse". I shall expect a reduction!

?..... Crystal Serenity has 2 floors which I recall as not being much smaller than QM2, if they took the furniture on the floor away...........

That's a problem on many dance floors. Either the waiters or other staff decide to place extra tables and chairs on the edge of the dance floor and hence the dance space is further reduced. Even at the famous Blackpool Tower Ballroom the floor has got progressively smaller over the years. Seems they all want more viewers and less dancers!

The last time I spoke to Sir Les, he told me that he wouldn't be travelling on QM2 any more. Apparently, there are far too many Brits wearing off-white dinner jackets ........Barry

Well, Sir Les has got a point. Sometimes you don't know if you're in the Britannia Restaurant or the headquarters of the Ku Klux Klan !

This conversation has deteriorated into nasty comments about Australians and no longer of interest.

Your very own Sir Les would probably advise a sense of humour transplant !

I don't believe that any real Aussie would polish their thongs!!! They may give them a wash before the Formal night - but they would never polish them.

 

Barry

They say that Sir Les Patterson has joined the QM2 in Brisbane to give a lecture on cultural etiquette. Is that correct Barry?

For USA readers not familiar with Sir Les ... try Google.

All of you sartorial pedants should thank your lucky stars that you are not on board Queen Mary 2 at the moment.

I received an e-mail from a World Cruise passenger today informing me that the weather in Sydney was wet and depressing. She also commented that, with the new intake of passengers, the butlers were all very busy polishing flip-flops and pressing colourful T-shirts ready for the next formal night!

Puts the whole thing in perspective really.

At one group dance lesson, one lady barefeet came and asked me to dance....

Must have been the Barefoot Contessa !

Your OH has a white dinner jacket? Most are ivory/off white or cream. So well done if he was able to find a white one, they are rare (be careful he is not mistaken for a steward).

 

There is only one "colour" that is suitable for dinner suits in non-tropical waters; black...

If the English Lady's husband wants to wear a white dinner jacket on some formal nights then good luck to him. And if the original poster asks if he can wear a white dinner jacket on 'Black & White Night' then why not? They should not be swayed by this patronising piffle about 'non tropical waters'.

On our recent lengthy Cunard cruise white dinner jackets were often in evidence (especially on Black & White Night) - and very smart they looked too!

Punk music in the Grills?? Sorry, but I never heard anything but "piped" in soft classical. We listened to nice Piano/Harp/ or strings being played live in the Queens Grill Lounge(Qm2)

In the words of the great John McEnroe " You cannot be serious" :)

Get advice on where you can safely store your luggage for the day then catch the Star Ferry to Hong Kong Island. Get a taxi to drop you off at the Peak Tram and take the funicular tram to the top of Victoria Peak. Enjoy the fabulous views (clouds permitting), have a bite/drink in the restaurant. Proceed back to Kowloon and enjoy browsing the shops around Ocean Terminal/Nathan Road, be sure to take afternoon tea in the lobby of the Peninsula Hotel. Take a leisurely stroll along the Avenue of the Stars (runs along the waterfront) and admire the very busy harbour and the fabulous view across to the Hong Kong waterfront.

A spare day in Hong Kong goes nowhere and can be very pleasurable so make the most of it while you can. Taxis, buses, ferries etc are all very cheap but there's no need to go far - much of it is walkable and the Star Ferry is fascinating if you have not done it before.

For a very special event we are considering a cruise on QE/QV in a Princess Grill Suite next year. We have been cruising on Celebrity, but a lot of live music is now disappearing, to be replaced by a DJ or canned music, which we really do not enjoy.

 

So, my question is, what is the music and sound levels like in the Princess Grill restaurant, and the adjacent areas, the Grill Lounge, The Terrace and the Grlls Terrace deck?

 

Richard

Not sure about the Princess Grill but in the Queens Grill they usually have punk rock music although the sound levels are a little too high for our liking. I would imagine that the Princess Grill music is something similar. There is no DJ for breakfast or lunch but he usually performs at night.

......I find , at both airports and sea ports, that when first entering the USA, they check everything very carefully and so progress of the lines is slow.

I'm not sure this has much effect on national security as both their Northern and Southern borders are wide open to anyone who is fit enough to walk a few miles.

We have entered America numerous times in the last year and they still check everything carefully. Last month, at Fort Lauderdale, immigration kept us queuing for two hours before being let outside. This despite the fact that all Brits have to be vetted in the UK first in order to obtain an Esta which is an essential document for Brits visiting America. What's the point of all those checks when they do it all again upon arrival?

The crazy thing is that anyone on Queen Victoria who had booked an early departure excursion/tour was waived through with the minimum of fuss whilst those passengers who simply wanted to catch the shuttle bus were kept queuing by immigrations for two hours or more. What's the rationale in that?

Good point about undesirables pouring across the Southern borders. Seems that at Fort Lauderdale they would rather hassle elderly cruisers.

....Two of my friends were on QV, they weren't very impressed by the Cunard hosts.

Recently returned from 22 nights aboard Queen Victoria. Some of the dance hosts obviously lacked the ability to dance to any reasonable degree of competence but with a couple of others it was hard to tell because they were often saddled with ladies whose knowledge of ballroom dancing was minimal. Couple this with a busy floor, a dance band not always blessed with a broad knowledge of dancers' tempo requirements, a vocalist with a nice personality but not aware that she should sing in the tempo of the dance - and one cannot help but have some sympathy with a couple of the dance hosts. And the reality was that, for good dancers, the dance floor held little appeal.

However, it was a popular place for the plodders and those who get round in some sort of fashion once a blue moon. But that's the story on most ships' dance floors - a bit of good social fun but never to be taken seriously.

Just wondering what's the best attire to wear when going to board. Is casual appropriate in case we have to wait too long? I don't want to dress up too much and be in high heels but also don't want to feel out of place. Be boarding QM2 in 11days at Fremantle.

Not sure what people wear when boarding at Fremantle but at Southampton there is a motley assortment of dress. Some look as though they do regular business with the Oxfam shops, others look as though they are on day release, and just a few achieve the right balance.

However, on the first formal night one wonders where all those people disappeared to !!

 

......That said, I am sure the Queen Victoria is lovely. I'll have the fortune to sail on the Queen Elizabeth mid year. I've no doubt I will love her too.[/QUOT

 

I'm sure you'll love the Queen Elizabeth, it's very similar to the Queen Victoria.

Incidentally, yet another disadvantage of the Queen Mary is that very often she has to berth some distance away from certain destinations and often in Container Depots etc. And she can't transit the Panama Canal !

There's no doubt that the two newer Cunard vessels have many advantages over the QM2 and, for those who haven't done so, the only thing to do is try them out. Many QM2 addicts will be very pleasantly surprised.

The Commodore Club is my favourite spot. Love the lectures in Illuminations and afternoon tea is delicious.[/quote

 

Having sailed on both Queen Mary (since 2004) and Queen Victoria there is no doubt that the Commodore Club on Queen Victoria is much more spacious and better designed. The theatre on Queen Victoria is also more beautiful and better designed than the one on Queen Mary with its obstructing pillars.

The Lido buffet restaurant on Queen Victoria is an object lesson on how it should be compared to the appalling King's Court on Queen Mary.

The library on Queen Victoria must be the most beautiful at sea and the Chart Room and Golden Lion are also an improvement. On deck there are more than ample sun loungers and chairs for everyone etc etc etc. The list goes on. So,perhaps it's time to cast off the rose-coloured glasses. Yes, the QM2 is more stable in the Atlantic but for the past 17 days it's been as smooth as a mill-pond on the Queen Victoria

There's more to Cunard than just the Queen Mary - iconic as it is.

I hope you have better luck in Rio, a work colleague was robbed three times in one day there a few years ago.

To paraphrase Lady Bracknell .....

" To be robbed once in a day is a misfortune, but to be robbed twice in a day seems like darn right carelessness"

Goodness knows what she would have said about being robbed three times in a day !!

Foxy

I felt exactly the same recently in a couple of ports in the Cape Verde Islands. It shows that you can't necessarily believe what you read. Sorry to hear of your bad experiences.

Thanks Captain for the commiserations but one bad port cannot spoil the enjoyment on this beautiful ship. We were Queen Mary fans for many years but have found the Queen Victoria to be beautifully appointed, so much so that it's now become our favourite ship. Once over that little episode in the Atlantic with raging seas and Force 10 winds we have had two weeks of idyllic conditions.

And Rio is now only three days away.

I seldom take organised tours and looking here http://wikitravel.org/en/Fortaleza

it seems a fairly attractive place.

Sorry Captain, this is the worst port we have visited in 25 years. We took the shuttle bus to the city centre. The atmosphere was third world, felt intimidating, and, as very experienced travellers, we were glad to return to the ship. The market (drop-off point) was chaotic and the cathedral disappointing.

The port facilities resembled a Barnsley slag-heap and Cunard's organisation for the tours and shuttle buses was almost non-existent.

All in all there was a distinct feeling that Cunard will not be returning here for many years to come.

Rio, in four day's time, will be a vast improvement.